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Scotland says Nae

Scotland says Nae

Anti-independence Better Together "no" campaigners hold a Union Jack handkerchief as they celebrate the Scottish independence referendum result following the Fife local authority declaration at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh, today.

Photo: Bloomberg

Scotland has voted to remain within the United Kingdom in its referendum on independence held yesterday, official results showed early today. With 31 of the 32 councils having declared their results, some 55.4 per cent voted in favour of staying part of the UK, with the pro-independence voting getting 44.6 per cent.

Voter turnout among the nearly 4.3 million people registered to vote in the referendum stood at 84.5 per cent.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to live up to commitments to Scotland made ahead of the independence vote, including plans for new powers on tax, spending and welfare.Cameron says the new plans will be agreed by November, with draft legislation by January.

“We will ensure that those commitments are honored in full," Cameron said this morning.

Cameron says this requires that people in other parts of the United Kingdom to have more rights to govern their own affairs, particularly in England.

Scotland's First Minister and nationalist leader, Alex Salmond said he accepted the result. "Scotland has by a majority decided not, at this stage, to become an independent country. I accept that verdict of the people and I call on all of Scotland to follow suit in accepting the democratic verdict of the people of Scotland."

On the promises by Britain’s main political parties to devolve more powers to Scotland: "Scotland will expect these to be honoured in rapid course."

But any hopes of a do-over were dashed by Cameron's remark. ""The debate has been settled for a generation ... there can be no disputes, no re-runs. We have heard the settled will of the Scottish people."